MANAMA (AFP) - Some 300 Muslim religious figures opened a two-day conference in Bahrain in support of the Prophet Mohammed following the row over his depiction in cartoons in European papers.

The scholars, preachers, heads of Islamic associations as well as Arab and Muslim community leaders from Europe will explore a strategy aimed at preventing a repeat of the crisis sparked by the publication of the cartoons.

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Sure that's the reason, just check out what follows...

The gathering opened with an address by its chairman, influential Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yussef al-Qaradawi, whose International Union of Muslim Ulema (religious scholars) is one of the conference's organizers.

"It's a war that has been waged against us for no other reason but to insult Islam,"​

said the hardline cleric who has opposed dialogue with Denmark before it issues an official apology for the cartoons.

"The Islamic nation has the right to rise in defence of its prophet."​

The 12 drawings of Islam's Prophet, first published in Denmark in September and reprinted elsewhere since, provoked violent protests across the Muslim world where they were condemned as blasphemous.

They also triggered a boycott of Danish products in Muslim countries.

Muslims must work to improve the image of the prophet who is regarded in the West as "a man who goes after young girls to put in his harem," said Qaradawi, referring to Mohammed's polygamy.

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And this is to be done how? What about the 72 virgins? No problem with that?

One of the gathering's other organisers, popular Saudi cleric Sheikh Salman al-Odah, commended the boycott and said Muslims must now think of ways to reduce their dependence on the West.

"We want to transform this anger into a productive force," he said.

The meeting comes the day after Britain's
Prince Charles criticised the cartoons furore and appealed to religious leaders to foster common values in a speech at Cairo's Al-Azhar university, the oldest seat of Sunni learning.

"Highest among those values of our common inheritance, and born of our love of God, must always come respect for each other, and for His creation," the heir to Britain's throne said.

"The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons shows the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others," he said.

The Manama gathering is expected to debate "the roots of Western views of Islam" and the "greatness and sacred status of the Prophet."​

Well that would be cool, if not for dhimmitude, demands for tribute, and now we got this poor Christian convert in Afghanistan...

Deliberations will go on until Thursday evening, when participants will announce a series of "recommendations" for an international campaign to defend Islam and its Prophet.

The participants include popular London-based Egyptian television preacher Amr Khaled, criticised by many Muslim scholars for attending a conference of Christian and Muslim experts in Copenhagen earlier this month despite Denmark's refusal to apologize for the cartoons.

The Manama conference is meant to remind the world that the cartoons issue is still alive, conference spokesman Sheikh Adel al-Muawda told AFP.

"We want to show those who hurt us that the Muslims have not forgotten, and will never forget, the offense caused to them," he said.

"We also want to educate Muslims about ways of securing their rights while avoiding negative practices," such as the violent cartoon protests," he said.

"The ulema attending the conference will underline that sharia (Islamic law) bans such practices."
​

The participants have set ambitious goals such as "regulating relations between Islam and the West" and "unifying the Muslims' positions on religious issues."

Qaradawi has opened a bank account to receive donations from Muslims to fund a website to defend the Prophet.

Six imams from Denmark, where the controversy originated, will attend the conference.

But the sheikh of Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, will not attend due to "prior engagements."

"O faithful, don't betray the Prophet," said placards announcing the conference in the streets of Manama.

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It would be great to see a 'kinder, gentler' form of Islam emerge, I will not hold my breath. Wanna bet this sets off another wave of violence?

Jyllands-Postens revealed today that a French TV Station France-2 has undercover video of the Danish Cartoon Faking Imams threatening to blow up a Moderate Danish Muslim politician and the Ministry!

Ahmed Akkari the lying Imam behind the Danish cartoon riots, and accused child abuser, is currently out of the country at a Islamic gathering in Bahrain on Western attitudes towards Islam.

Ahmed Akkari, a Danish member of the European Committee for Honouring of the Prophet, center, looks on during the International Conference for Supporting the Prophet being held in Manama, Bahrain, on Wednesday, March 22, 2006. The gathering of Muslim scholars from the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East discussed Western attitudes toward Islam and a Danish cartoon that provoked violent protests worldwide. Akkari is the spokesman for a Muslim committee from Denmark that took up the cartoon case. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Sugiero translated this shocking news from the Danish Jyllands-Posten website:

In a central segment of this document it is shown how Iman Ahmed Akkari indirectly threatens the leader of Demokratiske Muslimer Naser Khader. It is proposed that he ought to be killed if he joins the government.

"If he becomes Foreign or Immigration Minister, one should send a couple of guys to blow up both him and the ministry", says the spokesman for the imams who travelled to the Middle East.

This discharge was stated in arabic with a smile, while the muslim and arabic-speaking journalist Mohamed Sifaoui was sitting in the backseat of the car. Sifaoui is the producer of this program.

But Akkari did not know he was being filmed. Sifaoui wondered whether his statment was ironic or not...
​

** Sugiero has more on this development including the response from Danish officials. **

Agora is also reporting the story and will be posting updates.

If you speak Danish, HERE is a video clip on the story from DR1 News.

Naser Khader is already living under police protection.

Last week Akkari and the Islamic Community of Denmark announced that they are taking the Mohammed cartoon case to the United Nations High Commisioner for Human Rights in Geneva. The group added that Muslims living in the Islamic world have greater confidence in the United Nations than in the European Union.

Maybe, that is because the UN special rapporteur Doudou Diéne calls Danes racists and xenophobes!

Adhmad Akkari, spokesman of the Danish Muslim organizations which distributed the drawings, still refuses to reveal the source of his fake cartoons that were displayed on his Middle East tours.

Also in the Jyllands-Posten news... Despite the recent setbacks caused by the cartoon controversy, the Danish economy is the best in Europe at creating jobs and growth:

Denmark's economy is the best in Europe at creating jobs and growth, according to a report from the Centre for European Reform, A London-based think tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the future of the European Union.
The centre's report makes it likely that all ears will be on the prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, when he speaks about the Danish flexicurity model on Thursday at the EU economic summit in Brussels to discuss.

"The flexible Danish labour market, in which it is easy to fire and hire, combined with a high level of social security make Denmark a role model for other EU countries," concluded report author Aurore Wanlin.
​

Update: Sugiero says that the Copenhagen Police Department will investigate the death-threats. This story is getting a huge amount of press in Denmark today.

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